For Obama & Putin, G-20 Summit Brings a Big Chill

President Barack Obama meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin at the White House. July 7, 2009
(The White House/flickr)

Yesterday, President Barack Obama arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the G-20 Leaders Summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin kicked off the summit with a speech that emphasized economic growth and job creation.

But relations between the two leaders has been chilly due to tensions among the U.S. and Russia over Syria, Edward Snowden, and LGBT rights in Russia.

Kimberly Marten researches Russian foreign and security policy under Vladimir Putin. She is professor of political science at Columbia University’s Barnard College and she joins The Takeaway to decipher how things are going at the summit.

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Comments [3]

Larry Fisher
from Brooklyn, N.Y.

One question to Putin about Syria: If Assad continues to use chemical weapons on his own people and Russia backs Assad, shouldn't Russia be concerned about those Syrians who survive the chemical warfare as potential terrorists against mother Russia?

President Obama should prevail on president Putin to put pressure on Assad to come to the bargaining table in a very public way,let's put the onus on Putin. Attacking is not the answer! The President should defer to the vote of Congress. The public is too divided.Strong supporter of President Obama